Twilight's End
by Iffie
Summary: A Prequel to Children of Ingleside of sorts. About Una.
1. Chapter 1

_Twilight's End_-

A Prequel to _Children of Ingleside_-

Ever since he had died, she felt like she had been living in a dream- no, a horrible, horrible nightmare. She tried to function as best as she could, but it didn't take a discerned eye to see the sad look in her face for she was like a flower wilting. Her family had worried over her as had many others dear to her and all hoped that she would get better as time passed. Yet, she wasn't getting any better. Her life was always the same day by day- all the meaning shaken out of it. This could not be called living.

So, she prayed and prayed that there might be some way of escape of her but an answer never came. Until one day, when she in church, she realized that her life was not going to get any better. She would continue until she died, living the same way over and over again. Death would not come quickly for her, most of her family was horribly long lived. She stifled a cry as she saw her life flash before her eyes- the days an endless blur of monotony and she knew- knew that she had to leave this place and all of it's memories behind her or her soul would die. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Rev. John Meredith had often been called a dreamy man and not apt to notice people or things, but he, as of late, had been paying special attention to his daughter Una. He wasn't so dreamy as to not see her fading before his very eyes. He and Rosemary had exchanged many a worried glance over her but what was to be done with her, he knew not. Something had to be done, that was plain as plain, it would not do to sit idly by watching his sweet Una, whom Cecilia had asked him to take special care of, die by inches.

So, he betook himself to Dr. Blythe for some advice. Dr. Blythe was a wise man, however, he didn't fully understand the cause of Una's depression- of course the war was hard, but it was over now and that ought to be a cause for celebration. Mrs. Dr. Blythe, seeing more than her husband could, knew Una felt the way she had when she thought Gilbert was dying but Lady Fate had been kind to her and had given her a second chance. There had been no such luck for Una. Anne suggested to Rev. Meredith that he send Una away, perhaps she ought to take a course at Redmond?

John Meredith went away from Ingleside with a sad heart. He hadn't thought that he would actually have to send Una away from him. In fact, he had hoped that there might be some sort of magic cure that Dr. Blythe could give Una---but to send her away! He didn't know he could let Una go out into the world for he feared that it might be curl to her and Una always felt things so keenly. But life, even with her father by her side hadn't always been so kind. Mrs. Blythe was a wise woman but he wouldn't decide until he had talked to Rosemary first; surely Rosemary could figure out what to do.

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Rosemary Meredith sat darning one of little Brucie's socks as she listened her husband's concerns. This was the fifth pair of socks that she had had to darn for Bruce this fortnight; Bruce was always so hard on his socks. Rosemary picked up one of Una's stockings as her husband went on. Una had always been so careful with her pretty things, never wanting anything to be marred. But lately, Rosemary felt that Una no longer cared. She almost felt Una saying that pretty things never stayed pretty for long. Una was becoming old before her time.

"John, she needs to go." Rosemary said gently, "Let her leave and remember who she is. I'm afraid that she's lost herself and I don't believe she'll be able to find herself again if she remains put." Rosemary put her hand on her husband's and patted it.

John looked down at his feet, wanting so much to help his daughter and feeling so helpless because he knew that he couldn't-- at least not in the way that he wanted to. Could he really be so selfish as to keep her with him? Could he continue to see that same look in her eyes? She reminded him so much of a robin that he had once caught when he was a small boy. The robin at first had chirped gaily enough but after a week stopped eating and had such a longing look it's eyes. He had been selfish and had not wanted to let it go and tried everything he could think of to entice it to eat, but the robin would have nothing of it and died three days later. NO! He would not let that same fate come upon his daughter.

"You're right Rosemary, I'll make some arrangements." He spoke determinedly- Una was not going to fade away if he had anything to do about it.

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A week later, father came upon daughter in Rainbow Valley with a letter in his hand. The especial chum of his late wife, Laura Bailey, had readily agreed to host Una while she attended Redmond college. Now all that was left to be done was to tell Una that she should go to Redmond and John had serious doubts that he would have any trouble convincing her. "Una," he spoke, "There's something that I need to tell you."

Una looked at her father, "Dad, there's something that I need to tell you too. Dad," she looked down at her feet, this was going to be harder than she thought, "I need to leave."

John put a hand on her shoulder, " I know."

Una wondered if she had heard him correctly, "You do?"

John cleared his throat, "I thought--well, that is,--- Una, how would you like to go Redmond. The fall semester starts in a few weeks and I think it might be good for you."

Una looked up with joy in her eyes as if a great weight had been lifted off of her heart, "I'd like that very much."

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A/N- What do you think? Review and let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Glen St. Mary's folk and her surrounding districts where very much surprised by the Una they saw in the weeks after she had decided to leave off for Redmond. This wasn't the Una of yore, before the war, but a new Una- one with a very determined look in her eyes and there was something else in there too- hope.

Now, not all thought that Una ought to look quite so cheerful, especially when she was leaving her family and her home. Miss Rosetta Ellis thought that it was positively disgraceful for Una to be so happy about leaving and told her so. "Una, my dear. You oughtn't look so happy about leaving. My own sister left home against my advice, poor Charlotte may she rest in peace, and I won't say that it didn't end well on all accounts, but you never know what is going to happen to you when you are away. Think how your family was must feel, with you leaving them." She chided- minister's children were apt to think that they could own the world if you didn't put them back in their place every once in a while.

Una laughed and sighed, "I suppose that's so for some Miss Rosetta, but I have to go away to find my self again and Nova Scotia is right close to the island, it isn't as if I were going to the States." She bade Miss Ellis a good day and went on her way. There was plenty of packing and planning for her to do if she were going to leave in three weeks time.

Miss Rosetta shook her head after her. What ever did Una Meredith mean by saying that she had lost herself and had to leave to go find herself again? Poor Miss Ellis spent many nights awake at 3 o'clock pondering what she had meant.

Truth be told, if Una knew, I doubt that she would have cared too much if Miss Rosetta understood her or not, her mind was too overcrowded with thoughts of her nearing departure and what life would be like for her elsewhere. She was determined to make it a success- it just had to work.

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But the day Una set off was all wrong; she was having what Mrs. Blythe was wont to call a Jonah Day. First she couldn't find her smalled valise; Bruce had hidden it in hopes that she might be persuaded to remain. Finally, after some searching and prodding, Bruce revealed that he had buried in Methodist cemetery. Una, not fully appreciating the public scandal that she was making--quite worse than the time they all sat singing "Polly Wolly Doodle", headed over to dead Hezekiah Pollock's tombstone and dug up her valise. Shaking the dust from her heels, she prayed that that would be all the excitement that she would have for the day.

Unfortunately, it was not. A jumbling ticket agent mixed up Una's ticket's with another passenger's and when she got to Nova Scotia, she was obliged to sit talking to the deputy for over an hour trying to explain that she was not impersonating John MacIntosh and would gladly pair her fare over again if they would be kind enough to let her go because she did not care to miss the train to Kingsport. The deputy, having a toothache himself, was not inclined to believe Una because she matched a description in the post office for an embezzler. He only let her go after the real John MacIntosh was caught for trying to impersonate Una Meredith. Perhaps if Una had been less of a timid person, she would have found the whole episode rather amusing, but she was a timid person and not even her determination could make her feel better after being questioned for over an hour by an overbearing deputy.

When Una finally made it to Kingsport, she took a big sigh of relief, surely now that she was her, her trouble would be over, would it not? But, as she sat in the little ladies waiting room for two hours she realized that no one was coming for her. Her father had told her that Mrs. Bailey would be waiting for her when she arrived but it seemed to Una that she had been forgotten. Why she was forgotten, she didn't know, unless something terrible had happened to Mrs. Bailey. Una's troubled mind raced with a thousand different questions and she struggled not to cry.

This was simply too much. How she long to be back home, back by the Tree Lover's in Rainbow Valley, back in Charlottetown, back anywhere where she would see a familiar face. All her determination had fell from her and she felt like an exposed nerve. She would go back home and be contended to live in manse for the rest of her days. Perhaps they had been monotonous but at least she knew what was coming in then. This was not meant to be.

Perhaps if Una had not looked up at that very moment, she might have gone back to Glen. St. Mary's like a scared little child and she might have lived a rather unhappy life because of it, but she did look up at that very moment and she saw Irene Howard staring down at her. Now Una had never particularly fancied Irene and it certainly can't be said that many people did. But to have Irene here! Now! When she was so tired and confused. This. was. too. much.

"Una, darling," Irene said in her saccharine rich voice, " Have you been crying, you poor little dear." Irene sat down by Una, "Why don't you tell me what the trouble is. I've just been out shopping for my wedding trousseau, you know, I'm going to marry Bernard Sloane. That'll make my very nearly sisters with Di Wright and she's just thrilled about it, but I'm sure you know that. "

Una tried very hard not to snort for she knew that Diana Wright was hardly happy that Irene was marrying her husband's sister-in-law's sister's brother-in-law. It meant no kinship to Diana or any of the other Blythes, but Irene felt that it had been and had been rather pushy as of late because of it. "I haven't been crying, Irene." Una said softly.

"Now, come on and fess up, Una darling, you don't have to put on a brave front for me, after all, we're almost family."

Una shivered involuntarily and felt her determination and strength return to her. She would not quail before Irene Howard! If she did, and confessed what her heart was really feeling, she felt sure that Irene would spread it around what a poor mess little Una Meredith was without anyone to stand beside her.

"Nothing is bothering me, Irene." Una said as she stood up, "I was merely resting before I walked down Mrs. Laura Bailey, I'm going to stay with her while I go to Redmond, but I doubt that you need to be told that." Una picked up her smallest valise. The conductor had kept back her heavier bags and told her she could get when her people came to fetch. She knew that he'd keep them for her awhile longer. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go now. Mrs. Bailey must have been detained and I don't care to wait here any longer." And with that, Una was off, walking along the streets of Kingsport. She had not sunk so low that she needed Irene Howard to comfort her! No Sir!

Irene looked after Una for a moment- what a snippet she had become, Irene thought, just wait until it got around that Una Meredith had been rude- to her!


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